Soul’s fortune can change with Nassau strike

It would be an understatement to say that Friendly Soul is due a bit of luck this season but after two runs to forget she could get her due reward with a win at the highest level in the Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood on Thursday.

John and Thady Gosden’s mare was the horse that put her foot in a hole at Haydock back in May, an incident which she was fortunate only ended her race and not more given she was at full speed at the time.

She then went to Royal Ascot for the Duke of Cambridge Stakes only to fall out of the stalls, get stuck behind a raft of slowing traffic before finishing like a train once in the clear to end up 2.25-lengths behind Blue Bolt.

That piece of form is arguably the best on show given the winner went on to land the Falmouth at Newmarket and the fourth Kon Tiki dotted up at Ascot on Saturday.

But she has more than that from her three-year-old back catalogue after scoring four times starting with a 1.25-length defeat of King George heroine Kalpana and finishing with a Group One Prix de l’Opera win at Longchamp.

Diamond Necklace sets the standard for the Classic generation but her Prix de Diane win may not be as good as we thought given the performances of those in behind since.

If Friendly Soul is ridden up with the pace on the return to 2000m at a track that may well suit, she could deliver.

Enceladus will attract support in the Maison Perrier Gordon Stakes given the form this season of trainer Joseph O’Brien but it is another Irish raider in Geryon who may have the tools to land this Group Three prize.

Ger Lyons’ three-year-old colt was highly tried last season, finishing second to both Constitution River and Hawk Mountain and has taken time to hit top gear this season with four placed efforts hinting at limitations.

But last time out at Leopardstown he looked transformed, picking up really well and responding to Colin Keane’s drive to pull nearly 4 lengths clear of a decent field over 1800m, a run which suggested the extra distance here should be within his grasp.

Old Is Gold was gelded at the end of last summer and has been seen just the once so far this campaign in a quiet reintroduction at Sandown when slowly away from the gates.

Yet judging on the best of his form last year, you would have to suspect that was to reach peak fitness rather than indicating problems and he could have more than a few pounds in hand in the Buccellati Handicap.

On his best show last season he failed by a length to give Ardisia 6lb over 1200m at this course but given that one is now rated 100 and he is still on 86, Andrew Balding’s four-year-old could have a bit in hand.

With a return to 1000m also looking in his favour he makes plenty of appeal.

Ciarrai Abu looked a horse to follow when winning a maiden here in May and was not scrubbed from any notebooks when an eyecatching fourth over 1600m again back at Goodwood in June.

A narrow win at Ascot last time out looked more for necessity given he was hiked 6lb to 86 in that it ensured he got in here but it has done the job and the Coral Kincsem Handicap over 2000m has been the plan for Harry Eustace’s gelding all season.

Ragman’s Corner could spring a surprise against better fancied rivals to land the €270,000 Guinness Galway Hurdle at the west coast track.

Gerard Keane’s seven-year-old has figures of 4132 in his visits to the Ballybrit course and warmed up for this valuable contest with a staying on ninth in a handicap at the Curragh without ever being given too hard a time.

He looks a good each-way shout against shorter prices from the bigger stables. – Press Association

TAB is betting on 4 UK meetings on Thursday. Here are the tips.

GOODWOOD: Race 1: 14.50 Ciarrai Abu, Race 2: 15.25 Flann Sunna, Race 3: 16.00 Geryon, Race 4: 16.35 FRIENDLY SOUL (NAP), Race 5: 17.10 Old Is Gold, Race 6: 17.45 Shadow King, Race 7: 18.20 Elevating, Race 8: 18.55 Electric Dreams.

NOTTINGHAM: Race 1: 15.00 Funky Dory, Race 2: 15.35 Tardaff, Race 3: 16.10 Supplicate, Race 4: 16.45 Queen’s Hame, Race 5: 17.20 Simiyann, Race 6: 17.55 Molly Mac, Race 7: 18.25 Poet’s Dawn.

WOLVERHAMPTON: Race 1: 17.35 Havin A Flyer, Race 2: 18.10 King Chaos, Race 3: 18.47 Pyramid, Race 4: 19.22 Supreme Star, Race 5: 19.57 Manly Fireball, Race 6: 20.32 Worlington, Race 7: 21.07 African Spirit, Race 8: 21.42 On Key.

EPSOM: Race 1: 18.30 Golden Circet, Race 2: 19.05 Out Of This World, Race 3: 19.40 Imperial Cult, Race 4: 20.15 Too Hot To Tango, Race 5: 20.50 Red Moon, Race 6: 21.25 Lady Gormire.

DOUBLE: Friendly Soul and Old Is Gold (Goodwood, Races 4 and 5).